WHY BE AN AU PAIR IN SPAIN?

Spain is a country that offers a lot of possibilities, including learning the second most spoken language in the world.

Spain has a population over 48 million inhabitants; it has always been one of the favourite touristic places not only within Europe but also at a worldwide level.

Its capital city, Madrid, as well as Barcelona, are the two cities that receive the biggest number of tourists per year, and many tourists visit La Alhambra, in Granada, the City of Arts and Sciences, in Valencia, the Great Mosque of Córdoba, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and small, beautiful cities like Toledo or Segovia.

Apart from the wide cultural variety you may find in Spain, there is its incomparable cuisine and a sunny weather, which will allow you to enjoy its beautiful beaches (Ibiza, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Cíes Islands, Valencia, Alicante).

And, as if that weren't enough, do not forget the so popular festivals such as Las Fallas of Valencia or the festival of San Fermín in Pamplona, as well as the nightlife, together with the good mood of its people, which makes it a funny and friendly destination.

The main Spanish cities are:

Cities

Inhabitants

Madrid

3,255,944

Barcelona

1,621,537

Valencia

814,208

Seville

703,206

Zaragoza

674,317

MAIN CONDITIONS OF THE AU PAIR PROGRAMME IN SPAIN:

Range of accepted age: 18-30 years old

Working hours: 30 hours per week, which may be extended or reduced as agreed upon with the host family and according to the weekly pay established.

Holidays and free days: the Au Pair shall have a holiday week every six months. The Au Pair must have at least one free day, always including Sundays.

Ticket expenses: the Au Pair will bear any expenses involved in her/his trip, unless the family are willing to pay such expenses, either in whole or in part.

Insurance: if the Au Pair belongs to a member state of the European Union, the Au Pair must request the European Health Card, which is valid in Spain. Furthermore, it is advisable that the host family hire an accident and liability insurance policy during the Au Pair's stay .
If the Au Pair does not come from the European Union, the Au Pair must hire an appropriate health insurance which must be paid by the Au Pair and the host family equally, unless otherwise stated in the agreement executed with the host family.

Language: you do not need any basic Spanish level at all; however, in order for the Au Pair to be integrated as soon as possible into the family life and Spanish culture, we recommend that the Au Pair have a basic Spanish level.

Weekly pay: EUR 60-90, USD 65-95, GBP 45-65

VISA

EU OR EFTA COUNTRIES:

Citizens of the European Union or EFTA do not need any visa to be an Au Pair in Spain. They only need a valid passport, an agreement executed with the family, and register upon arrival in Spain for long time periods with the Registry of Inhabitants, and request a Registration Certificate of European Union citizen.

COUNTRIES HAVING A WORKING HOLIDAY VISA AGREEMENT WITH SPAIN:

Australia, Canada and New Zealand have a Working Holiday agreement with Spain, therefore citizens from these countries may request this type of visa.

To that effect, they must contact the Spanish embassy in the source country in order to check requirements, expected number of visas they will need for a year and file their request.

OTHER COUNTRIES:

Any Au Pairs not included in the foregoing list will need to request an Au Pair visa for Spain.

If your stay as an Au Pair will last less than three months, you must check if your country is exempt from requesting a visa, otherwise, you must request a short-term or a student visa.

If your stay as an Au Pair will last more than 3 months, the best option to obtain a visa is through the student visa. To that effect, you must register, before requesting the visa, with a Spanish language course, university or any course to obtain a master's degree.

In the case of the Spanish language course, to obtain the visa you must sign up for the course and submit the pertinent registration with a school supported by the Cervantes Institute and the course must last at least 20 weekly hours.